The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1887-08-24
TEXAS RESCURD.
Henry Wa.terson Of the Courier -Journ.
al on Prohibition.

no"y VhsCTbVu VI OIkACVVuEiOT-SVufH
al on Prohibition.
Henry Watterson the genius who pre-.
; sides over the destinies of the Courier.
Journal, who is acknowledged to be the
most talented editor now living speaks
as follows on Prohibition:
Texas, on the other hand, by the de.
feat Of prohibition, has rescued herself
from very great peril. No matter who
is responsible for the overwhelming
majority, nor who composed the vote
against prohibition, it's defeat is distinct
ly democratic victory. The effort Of
the party to strip the question Of its
political relations and to convert 1t into
horse which Democrats could ride
double, was weak concession to time
serving. OF all the assertions and as
sumptions Of the paternal theory Of gov
ernment prohibition is the most per-
vasive, and seizes upon the rights of the
individual most violently. Of all
schemes Of moral emancipation and re-
form. prohibition is the most illusory.
No man who believes in prohibition can
believe in selEgovenment. 1t is .
fanaticism as wild and unreasoning as
voodooism itself.
That thousands Of well-meaning Chris
tian men are deceived by it is true, and.
to the extent Of their delnsiop, they are
to be pitied, but. in proportion as they
become aggressive and intolerant, must
their acts be resisted and their ideas ex-
posed.
Prohibition. to begin with, does not,
will not and can not prohibit. That
drink is the parent Of five-sixths Of the
evil in the world, believe; and i'll
could annihilate drink, and all other
forms of stimulation, 1 would. 1t is i'm
possible. One might as well undertake
10 abolish fire or water. The only effect
of the enactment Of laws attempting it,
60 to increase the poison in drink, to
multiply outlaws and to manufacture
hypocrisy. Waving the political ques-
tion involved. prohibition is device Of
the devil to ensnare innocent souls. 1t
is particularly 90 with respect TO women.
1t was devised and meant by Satan To
lure them to destruction.
Its the woman who most suffers from
the evil consequences Of drink. 1t is she
who must sit with folded hands whilst
the drinking husband slowly staggers
down the abyss before him. 1t Is she
must toll to get living for helpless lit
tie ones, whilst the brutal husband
spends his all at the dram shop. 1t is
she, at last. who falls beneath the cruel
blows which drink inflicts upon all, but
chief and worst upon the weak and poor.
May Heaven blight this pen and wither
the hand that holds 1t If they should in
dite a line or work not instinct with
sympathy for her and hatred of the arch-
fend, her opprossor, and scorn Of the
selfish beast who becomes that arch
fend's agent. But the devil knows very
well that prohibition does not prohibit.
He has the souls of the drunkard safe in
his lookup. How shall he get at the
soul Of the wife2 There is but one way;
entice her, under the pretense Of great
moral work, into politics; arouse her
emotional mature into frenzy Of polite
al excitement; lure her away from home
into pnblic organisation; make q man Of
her, In short, and then 60 for her Is the
devil goes for men, whom he has hlled
with another kind of stimulant. 1t Ia
the same old story.
But the honest, impetuous Prohibi-
ZIONIST will say. "What may We do
must we sit down helplessly and sec all
this iniquity 60 on before Our eyes?'
Most certainly not. Begin the work o.
reform by Furnishing crime, and par
ticularly crime the offspring OF drinl
more systematically. Bring the sale
and use of intoxicants under the bette
regulation Of the law. Surround it will
all possible and needful safeguards
Inculcate principles Of moderation AMI
trust to the force of temperance and th'
progress Of enlightenment. Don't hur
noble and benefcent cause by tryinl
to do what can not be done, and rushin
headlong into evils greater than thos
you seek to compass. You fly into to
great passion to do any real or lastin
good. This is eminently question t
: be reasoned with and to be considere
from an intelligent. even a scientific
standpoint.
u The small vote received by Judge Fo
is encouraging to the friends Of ten
perance. It shows that in Kentuck
N there is q sound. conservative view
@ which can be relied on to save us from
crazy expedients, but which I hope an
Q believe, will prove equal to dealing wise
o ly with the question both morally an
o politically. Meanwhile, the example {
Texas is full of reinsurance. 1t We
n Virginia, which, under the incomparabl
: Henry A. Wise, rolled back the tide I
70 know-nothing fanaticism which. ha
70 swept almost unresisted over the Noftl
1t is Texas, which, under the lead Of Il
" hardly less brilliant and courageo,
10 Roger @. Mills, puts quietus upon
movement that, masquerading as mo
10 alist, is aimed at tho heart Of fr'
government. Tho cause of genuin
,e morality and religion needs no sut
le sacrifice as the surrender of any of Il
outposts OF liberty. But, now that Il
of jim jams of an insane folly have bet
es quieted, good men, more than eve
it. should put their heads together
search of sober and sure methods Of (
ne resting and muzzling the demon drink
81 H.W.
EVERETT HOUSE, NEW YORK, AUG. 0. 1887
an
lDl Governor Leslie. has signed the Co